Nolan Richardson (born December 27, 1941)
Teams coached: Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Arkansas Razorbacks
Tulsa record: 119-37 (.763)
Arkansas record: 390-170 (.696)
Overall record^: 509-207 (.711)
Career Accomplishments:
- NCAA National Championships: 1 (1994)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16 (1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
- NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: 6 (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996)
- NCAA Tournament Final Four: 3 (1990, 1994, 1995)
- NIT Championships: 1 (1981)
- NIT Appearances: 4 (1981, 1983, 1987, 1997)
- SEC Regular Season Champion: 4 (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
- Southwest Regular Season Champion: 3 (1989, 1990, 1991)
- Missouri Valley Regular Season Champion: 2 (1984, 1985)
- SEC Tournament Champion: 1 (2000)
- Southwest Tournament Champion: 3 (1989, 1990, 1991)
- Missouri Valley Tournament Champion: 2 (1982, 1984)
Awards:
- Naismith Coach of the Year: 1 (1994)
- NABC Coach of the Year: 1 (1994)
- SEC Coach of the Year: 1 (1998)
- Missouri Valley Coach of the Year: 2 (1981, 1985)
- USBWA Most Courageous Award (1995)
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2008)
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (inducted 2014)
Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):
| 2009-2011 | Tulsa Shock |
| 1985-2002 | Arkansas |
| 1981-1985 | Tulsa |
| 1978-1981 | Western Texas College |
Nolan Richardson Facts
- Nolan Richardson, Jr.
- Born December 27, 1941
- Hometown: El Paso, Texas
- Alma Mater: Texas Western College (BA, 1964)
- Played collegiately at Texas Western (now UTEP), where he was one of a group of players that helped breakdown the unofficial color barriers in major college basketball
- Spent his junior and senior seasons playing under legendary head coach Don Haskins, who would go on to lead the Miners – with a completely African-American starting lineup – to win the 1966 NCAA National Championships
- Began his coaching career at Bowie High School in his hometown El Paso, Texas (1965-1978)
- First collegiate job was as the head coach for three seasons at Western Texas College
- Won the National Junior College Championship with WTJC in 1980
- Moved up to Division I in 1981 when he was hired as the new head coach at Tulsa
- Won 119 games, two Missouri Valley titles and two Missouri Valley Tournaments in five years; the Hurricanes also won the 1981 NIT title
- Hired as the head coach at Arkansas in 1985 and would coach the Razorbacks for seventeen seasons
- Became the first African-American head coach of men’s program in the Southwest Conference in 1985
- Led the Razorbacks to the Final Four in 1990, 1994 and 1995, winning the NCAA National Championship in 1994
- Won seven straight conference titles from 1989-1995 (three SWC and four SEC)
- Was dismissed towards the end of the 2001-02 season, following some controversy as Richardson had publicly challenged AD Frank Broyles to fire him; Richardson claimed that he was being mistreated due to his race
- Coached the Panama national team from 2005 to 2007; Richardson is fluent in Spanish
- Named the head coach and general manager of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock in 2009; finished the first season 6-28 and then resigned midway through his second season after starting 1-10
- Along with his wife, Rose, had two children; along with three children from his first marriage
Nolan Richardson Coaching Tree
- Mike Anderson (Arkansas, Missouri, UAB)
- Ron Cottrell (Houston Baptist)
- Scott Edgar (Eastern Oklahoma St, Southeast Missouri St, Duquesne, Murray State)
- Darrell Hawkins (Prairie View A&M)
- Nolan Richardson III (Tennessee State)
- Andy Stoglin (Jackson State, Southern)
^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only
